Words Can Really Hurt Me...

Hello readers! Sorry it has been a while, I am so glad to be back. This month at The Well we will be going through a series called Zip It. Week one was about gossip. Who hasn’t experienced gossip? I think it is safe to say that everyone has in some way.

“If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.” James 1:26

From the above verse, we see that if you are unable to control the words coming from your mouth, then your religion is worthless. Gossip comes in many forms:

• Prayer request gossiper: rather than saying “Heather has a lot going on and she needs prayer” the prayer request gossiper tells what is going on in Heather’s life.

• ‘But you gotta love them’ gossiper: talking bad about someone completely bashing them and their character, then after wards saying, “but you gotta love them.”

• I just don’t know when to shut up gossiper: this one is pretty self explanatory, someone knows information and just does not know when to keep their mouth shut.

• I’m just telling the truth gossiper: just because it is the truth, does not mean that it needs to be spread

We live in a society that is covered with gossip. It is in the magazines, on television, it is everywhere. Here is something to note, “Talking about everyone else, probably means that you are too scared to talk about yourself.” The tongue is a powerful thing. With that being said the power can be both good and bad, Like most things, there is a good side and a dark side to the power of the tongue. It is all in how you use it. There is a saying that goes, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” That is so wrong and whoever first came up with that was full of bologna. I believe the saying should go a little more like “Sticks and stones may break my bones, and words can really hurt me.” Not all words can hurt, but words have the ability to destroy. James 3:5-6 “In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.” Pastor Travis used the analogy of a pillow fight being like gossip. With the pillow in hand, there is a sense of addicting power. This is true for information that you hold and knowing something most don’t, you have a power. Reality: gossip is fun. But truth is gossip starts as a conversation that turns someone’s life and character into a mess.

With gossip all around us, what is the answer to avoiding it? Ephesians 4:29 says “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” The answer is to stop talking ABOUT people and start talking TO people. Let only words of encouragement and help come from your mouth. Let your words be directed at the needs of the person you are talking to. We need to be a community that is different in the sense that we do not gossip as it has killed and divided churches. We need to be a community focused on intentionally helping others rather than innocently or deceitfully destroying others. We must learn to tame the tongue and make things right with those that we may have sparked or fanned the flame that has been destruction to their lives.

The only way to change your words is to change your heart. For the words you speak reflect that which is going on in your heart.

Temptation

Last night at The Well, we started a new series called, “I am…because He did.”  One of the first things we talked about hit me kind of hard. The slide read, “Many struggle to fully trust God because we don’t think He really understands what we’re going through.” As much as I don’t want to say it, this statement rings true in my life. Trust is something that I struggle with and is something that in my walk with God, I have gotten better at. I am slowly growing to trust God and His plans for me. Although I may not always understand why things have to be the way they are, I know that it will only make me stronger as a person and in my relationship with Him.  We serve a god who is close and personal, He sent His only son to live as we do. And as a human, Jesus encountered the same things that we do. This includes temptation, our topic of the night.  Luke 4:1-2 “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.”(NIV)

There are three truths about temptation; the first is that it is inevitable.  Temptation always knows where you are, there is no hiding from it. In terms of temptation and sin it is remember that sin is not in the attraction, but in the action.

The second truth about temptation is that it grows. All sin starts as an idea. When the idea is left alone and not dealt with, it grows from your head to your heart. That is when the idea becomes sin.  You must guard your heart.

The final truth about temptation is that it doesn’t have to win. When there is temptation, get away. In Genesis 39:10 we read, “And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.”(NIV) Joseph removed himself from the temptation of Potiphar’s wife. This is the example we should follow, do not be near the thing that tempts you for you cannot be near and not end up in it. After getting away, get aligned. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 reads, “or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (NIV) There’s no anointing without affliction. No throne without a thorn. Pain forces us to depend on God instead of ourselves.

Temptation is inevitable, but being defeated is optional. God has not abandoned you and it is in your weakness that He makes you strong.

The Jesus Test

We live in a society that has a spiritual buffet. A place with plates representing each religion and it is believed by 43% of born again Christians that all plates lead to the same God. This week at The Well we took a look at 4 of those religions and put them to the Jesus test. Do they pass? Or do they fail? In the culture we live in, there is emphasis on being politically correct all the time. When looking at this topic, the goal is to be theologically correct, not politically correct. Also remember this is based from the Bible, not any one’s agenda except for God’s.


There are two questions to look at first. Question number one is “What does Jesus say about himself?” Throughout the book of John, Jesus tells that He is the Truth, the Light, the Way. Question two: “What do other religions say about Jesus? Do they pass the Jesus test?”

The second largest religion in the world is Islam, with 1.2 billion followers. They like Christians are monotheistic and have roots leading to Christianity and Judaism. There is a belief that when you die, your good works are weighed against the bad to determine your salvation. This leaves absolutely no security in the after like. We find the contradiction to this in Ephesians 2:8-9 “…salvation is not a reward for the good things we’ve done…” They do not believe that Jesus was crucified. The truth is here though, that there is not only Biblical proof, but historical proof. There is belief that Jesus is a profit and the profits cannot tell a lie and nothing can alter the words of God.
Conclusion: Jesus is not Lord, but a prophet. And you will make it to Heaven if your good deeds outweigh the bad.
Jesus test: FAIL.

Although Mormonism is not as worldwide, it is a very dominant presence locally. The religion was founded by Joseph Smith with talk of angels and gold plates. There is a belief that one day you can become a God. Look at Isaiah 44:6-8 and find that the Bible states differently. They believe that you can earn salvation by your good deeds. They believe you are forgiven until you sin again. Once you repent, you cannot commit the same sin again, and you are held accountable for former sins. We, as Christians, serve a God who is forgiving, and forgetting of those very sins.
Conclusion: Salvation is earned by good works and you can become a God.
Jesus test: FAIL. There is nothing here about God and His love.

Hinduism is the 4th largest religion in the world. There is no founder known. The religion is the most open and accepting of them all. There is a belief that “all roads led to the top of the mountain.” Hinduism has belief in polytheism (multiple gods). These multiple gods are impersonal and do not want to know you. The God we serve as Christians loves us each individually and knew us before we were even born. There is a belief that the actions you commit determine your future and it would take 6,800,000 lifetimes to cancel the evil to then be at peace and have salvation. In James 4:14 we see that we have one short shot at life.
Conclusion: Jesus is A way, not THE way. And Karma leads to salvation.
Jesus test: FAIL.

The fourth and final religion we looked at is Buddhism. This is enlightenment. There is no creator or God in the beliefs, only Buddha’s, or enlightened ones. The main belief is that Nirvana (salvation) can only be obtained via the eight fold path, which is as follows.

1. Right view

2. Right resolve

3. Right speech

4. Right action

5. Right livelihood

6. Right effort

7. Right mindfulness

8. Right concentration

Conclusion: There is no creator and salvation is obtained only via the Eight Fold Path.
Jesus test: FAIL.



There is a hint of God’s truth in each of the religions and Christians can learn a few things from them, such as the good deeds. But the enemy works by giving you just enough truth to make you comfortable and enough lies to keep you from Heaven and eternity spent with God.

Hope everyone has an incredible week. Remember the God’s Grace is a free gift, and it is only through Him and this gift that you can have eternal life.

Abortion

I just want to start this week’s blog off by saying that Worship last night was absolutely amazing. Transit* Band is incredible!

Okay, back to business, week 3 of Elephant in the Room. The topic: Abortion. Fact is that there are 1,500,000 abortions that occur every year. That breaks down to an average of 3 abortions every minute. That number is insane. Please remember that as I talk about Travis’ message from last night, it is not his agenda, but God’s agenda. Breaking down the arguments to show how God feels about the issue.

The first argument that most pro-abortion/pro-choice is that life begins at birth. When reading Scripture, you will find that unborn or born it’s still a life in God’s eyes. An unborn child is never referred to as anything less than a human.  A baby is always considered distinct and separate from the mother.  God looks at people and sees someone not something, every time.

Second truth about abortion is that only God has the right to create and take life. To open the message, Travis gave the analogy of having a rich father who opens an account in your name that has all that you will ever need in your life. Someone then comes along and closes your account because they have the “right” to do so or you are too young to understand. God is the Father that has opened a FULL account for you in your name. Abortion is no different than someone closing the account on your behalf. 93% of abortions are for convenience, 3% for the child’s health, 3% for the mother’s health, and 1% for rape or incest. 0/4500 pregnancies are result of rape. So the argument that abortion is being used mostly for pregnancies due to rape is not necessarily valid. Rape is a violation of a person’s rights. Violation is forcing an action of someone without consent. In other words, abortion is violation. It is forcing an action (death) upon someone without consent.


There is no such thing as illegitimate children, just illegitimate parents. No matter what you have been told growing up, you are not an accident. Jeremiah 1:5 “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart….” You were an idea in God’s heart before you were ever an idea in your parents’ head. Each of us has a God given purpose and it is important to remember that.

What now?
• Remember that if you have had an abortion, you can be forgiven. Also, stop reminding God of a sin that He has already forgotten.


• Live on purpose. God created each of us with an individual purpose. Live like it. That’s what He intended.


Hope all is well and everyone has an incredible week. Remember:

You were created BY God and FOR God.

Kingdom or kingdom: Which do you serve?

Last night at The Well we talked about Elephant in the Room number two: politics. When talking about Church and politics we focus on Matthew 6:9-10 “This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”


The first of the two truths looked at: it’s about Kingdom, not kingdom. Yes the same word, but there is a difference. The Kingdom with a capital K is the Kingdom of God. The second kingdom with a lower case k is the one that we live in on earth. Jesus came to the kingdom, not to better it, but to create and entirely new Kingdom. He made it possible for us to get glimpses of heaven and to focus of God’s Kingdom. It is important to remember that when the kingdom, not the Kingdom, is the source of your happiness, it will also be your source of greatest pain when it’s lost. Throughout the political world, there are some things that pass and others that don’t and when something doesn’t go the way we want, it will all still be okay because this isn’t it. Focus on the right Kingdom.

The second truth is that it’s about action, not politics. Jesus, not politics, changes people. As followers of Christ, we should be focused on God’s Kingdom and bringing it to earth. We should be showing His love to those around us. God’s agenda is to care about others. Government created programs because the Church dropped the ball. We are called to serve our community. Do not wait for the kingdom to make changed, be a part of the Kingdom and be a part of the solution. Be set apart from the rest and show God’s love by serving the community around you.

Remember that whether the policy passes or doesn’t pass, be a part of the solution.

God is amazing. Hope everyone has a fantastic rest of the week.

The Week of Hope

What is The Week of Hope?? A week to focus on our community and their needs.

“If what we are doing inside the church walls is having no effect on the streets we travelled to get there, then maybe we’re missing the point?” -Joel Houston of Hillsong United

The Week of Hope was put together by The Image Project to meet some of the needs of our community outside of the church walls. The week was started with the video documentary called iHeart, put together by Hillsong United. Throughout the week there are opportunities to volunteer at Phoenix Rescue Mission. Wednesday at The Well a Stock the Shelter concert was set up to collect donations of food, clothing, and other items needed to stock the shelves of the shelter. The night consisted of four different performances, each unique in its own way. The first was an acoustic set done by the beautiful ladies Meghan and Olivia. Next was Radio Drive By.  Then Jim did an acoustic set. And finally a local Christian hip hop group called OP.EX. What a great night full of music. During their set, OP.EX called Pastor Travis down to freestyle. Bringing him back to the days when he rapped. For those who missed it, or just want to see it again, I have included the video below.

Yes the night was full of great music and time spent with friends, but it is important to remember the reason for it: to show God’s love to our community and to meet a need for others, that we often take for granted.

Hope that all is well and everyone has a fantastic remainder of the week.

Sexy Elephant

For the month of March at The Well, we will be in a series called “Elephant in the Room.” The topic: those things everyone is thinking but no one is will to talk about. Pastor Travis will tackle the four toughest and most controversial topics in church. Week one was probably the toughest of the four topics: homosexuality. Last night was perhaps the most intense sermon at The Well to date, in a good way. As pointed out last night, we live in a society that likes to argue about everything. And in order to make any impact at all, we have to stop the arguing and start talking. This goes for any topic, talk do not argue.


Travis covered four questions that come up when discussing homosexuality in regards to God and the church. The first question is “How does God view sexuality?” The answer: Sex is not just a good thing, it is a God thing. God created sex and commanded Adam and Eve to have sex. However, it is important that although sex is a legitimate need, meeting that need in an illegitimate way is a sin. God created sex and gave us a way to meet that need, marriage.

That leads to question number two “How does God view marriage?” To answer this we look at Genesis 2:24 “that is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.” We were given this not only in Genesis, but also in Matthew 19:5 and Mark 10:7. In the book of Leviticus, we are given our laws to follow. There were temporal and universal laws. One that is a universal is Leviticus 18:22 “Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as a woman. It is a detestable sin.” There is argument that Jesus overturned the old law and that homosexuality is only discussed in the Old Testament. Both of these can be proven false through Scripture. “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” Matthew 5:17. Yes, Jesus brought change to some laws, those that were temporal, but He came to put flesh to the laws. And as far as the argument of homosexuality being only in the Old Testament, read Romans 1:26-27 and 1 Timothy 1:10. Some homosexuals will say “I was born this way.” I, like Travis said last night, believe you. As with anything else, though, you may not have chosen the temptation but you can choose whether you allow it to rule your life. This last sentence is important for all of us to read and comprehend because it does not apply just to sexuality, but all sin and temptations.

The next question, “Does this mean God hates homosexuals?” is one that although is a legit question from someone who does not know Christ, I find it to be a silly question for a Christian to ask. God has an overwhelmingly unimaginable amount of love for each of His children. We are His children and not one of us to too far, too broken, or too dirty for His love. God hates sin, but He loves sinners. The well known verse John 3:16 talks about the whole world, there is no disclaimer that homosexuals are not loved.

The fourth and final question is an important one for Christ followers, “How should Christians respond?” First thing is first, stop trying to win arguments. Second of all, love. Love them like Jesus loves you. It is important to remember that the remedy for homosexuality is a relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus cleanses you. And it is not their sexuality, but the lack of knowing God that will keep homosexuals from spending eternity in His presence. Isaiah 1:18 “’Come now, let’s settle this,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them white as wool.’”

God is incredible and His love is greater than we know.